Back to Basics
by janeite82791
Summary: Post-ep for "Stargazer in a Puddle." A/H romance.


Disclaimer: "Bones" isn't mine. Never has been, never will be.

A/N: This is a post-ep for "Stargazer in a Puddle" and is a bit of angsty, probably not super original fluff. That makes sense, right? Feedback is greatly appreciated!

**Back to Basics**

Earlier that afternoon, Angela had been standing at the altar, about to be married to the man she adored. She had never really thought about marriage before Hodgins, but there she was. She had managed to get beyond her fear of commitment enough to realize that this was what she wanted. She didn't need to protect her heart from this man. As she stood next to him in the church, her heart rate sped up and her insides were squirming with nervous excitement.

Now, however, Angela was anxious for a completely different reason.

Married to someone who _wasn't _Jack? Angela could barely wrap her head around the idea. It seemed at odds with all that was right in the universe. It wasn't that she had forgotten that time spent in Fiji. She remembered the guy. Sort of. She clearly recalled a lot of sex and a lot of alcohol. But nothing that seemed even remotely legally binding.

Angela had always been a goodtime girl and she had never been ashamed of the fact. She looked back on most of her crazy escapades with fondness and saw them as proof positive that she was living life to the fullest. But when that State Department official broke the news, she would have given all of it up just to erase that look of hurt shock from Hodgins' face.

Thanks to some quick thinking by Caroline, Angela and Hodgins had managed to avoid the sticky task of telling their friends the wedding was off and had bolted the church in a hurry. They jumped into Hodgins' car and just drove, trying to pretend they didn't hear the clanking cans that some well-wisher had attached to the back.

They drove for about fifteen minutes in silence. Neither was sure what to say just yet. They were lost in their own thoughts. The momentary elation of eluding their guests had faded and they were stuck with uncertainty. What the hell did they do next?

Angela had been gazing absently out the window when she suddenly realized where they were. She turned to Hodgins.

"Are we going where I think we're going?" she asked hopefully.

Hodgins took his eyes off the road and glanced over at her, the beginnings of a smile on his lips.

"Yep," he said simply, before turning back to the road. Angela reached over and grabbed his right hand off the steering wheel and brought it to her lips. He squeezed her hand and held on for the rest of the ride.

A few minutes later, Hodgins pulled into the familiar parking lot. The sun was just beginning to go down and the place was mostly empty. Getting out of the car, Angela peered across the park and saw it. Their swing set. She reached for Hodgins again and he wrapped his arm around her waist. Together, they wandered off through the damp grass toward the swings.

"I feel like this date's a little more formal than last time," Angela said with a smile as she lowered herself into the plastic seat. She scooped up the train of her white dress and tucked it into her lap to protect it from the dirt.

"Well, I do try to out-do myself," Hodgins replied, grasping the chain of her swing so they were moving together. With his other hand, he loosened his bow tie and unbuttoned the collar of his dress shirt. He needed to breathe.

Angela watched him. He was unusually quiet and it was no surprise why. Despite his earlier assurances that he was okay and wasn't worried, she knew better. He was far from okay. Sure, he kept close to her, but his smiles didn't reach his eyes. For the most part, he stared at the gravel at their feet and made no move to start a conversation. This was how he dealt with things that truly upset him. He withdrew into himself and was remarkably vulnerable, just the opposite of what one might expect from someone with as a big personality as his. Angela knew he wasn't angry; he was just sad.

Again, Angela was overcome by that wave of intense guilt. This was _Hodgins_. The same guy who had never been anything but amazing to her. He didn't deserve to go through this. He shouldn't have to put up with all her nonsense. He deserved someone steadier, someone less likely to change her mind on a whim or make him crazy with frustration. But he didn't want someone steadier. He wanted her. And for that, Angela was more grateful than she could say. It was her fault this happened, so it was now her job to assure him that things would be okay.

"Jack," she said. He looked up at her and read the seriousness in her face. He planted his feet, stopping the swinging. "I don't know what to say to make this right," she continued. "I just want you to know that I'm so, so sorry. I wish I-" She sighed and shook her head. "I wish things were different."

"Yeah," Hodgins said. "Me too." His voice cracked a bit, and Angela's heart broke a little more. He cleared his throat. "I just really want to be married to you," he finished softly.

"I really want to be married to you, too," she replied, reaching over to stroke his cheek. "And I fully intend to be." She gave him a slight smile.

He looked into her eyes for a moment.

"Yeah?" he said. She knew he must have hated the insecurity in his voice.

"Yeah," Angela replied.

He gazed at her for another long minute, then he took a deep, steadying breath and sat up a bit straighter on the swing. He cleared his throat again.

"So, now what do we do?" he said, making an effort to pull himself together. "We find him, right? Get him to sign divorce papers."

Angela nodded. "That's exactly what we do."

He smiled then, his first genuine smile since they had been sitting there. He leaned over and gently pressed his lips to hers, getting as close as possible in their awkward positions on the swings.

"Thank you for brining me here," Angela said after they broke the kiss. "It just feels right."

"That's because it's us, Ange," Hodgins replied, resting his forehead against hers. "It's you and me, back to basics."

He kissed her again. There was more talking to be done, but for now, it wasn't necessary. They had come so far from their first date on the swings, months earlier. The obstacles they faced then seemed almost trivial now. This new hurdle was bigger. But they'd face whatever was coming, content in the knowledge they had each other. For now, all there was to do was swing.

A/N: I know there are countless fics where Hodgins and Angela go back to the swings, but I couldn't help myself! I just found the idea of them going there after their almost wedding rather comforting…


End file.
